Archive for the ‘Long Distance Caregiving’ Category

In today’s mobile society, caring for an elderly parent from afar has become increasingly common. In fact, the National Institute of Health estimates that there are around seven million Americans who are long-distance caregivers today. Here are some tips and resources that can help you.

Weigh Your Options

When it comes to monitoring and caring of an aging parent that lives far away, you have a couple options. You can hire a professional to oversee your parent. Or you can coordinate the care yourself by assembling a network of neighbors, friends, medical specialists, drivers, housekeepers and other helpers.

In either case, you may want to start by having your mom get a geriatric assessment. This is a professional evaluation to identify her needs and a suggested plan to manage her care. To find a professional who does this, contact your mom’s doctor or visit the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Manager’s Web site at www.caremanager.org.